The match ball used in the 1954 World Cup final in Switzerland stands for the legendary Miracle of Bern. Helmut Rahn smashed it into the net in the 84th minute to make it 3-2 against huge favourites Hungary. In doing so, the Rot-Weiss Essen striker not only set Germany on the way to their first World Cup triumph, he also helped a nation stricken by World War II find a new sense of self-esteem. Against this background, historians such as Joachim Fest labelled team captain Fritz Walter one of the three founding fathers of the young Federal Republic alongside Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard, the minister who oversaw the post-war 'economic miracle'.
The dramatic course of the final at the legendary Wankdorf Stadium in Bern also adds to the folklore. Hungary, unbeaten in almost four years, raced to a 2-0 lead in just eight minutes, invoking memories of the preceding meeting of the two teams in the group stage. Two weeks earlier to the day, the Hungarians had trounced Sepp Herberger's side 8-3, prompting a barrage of angry protest letters from home accusing the national coach of not having fielded his strongest side. Later, however, his lineup was considered a tactical manoeuvre, as the defeat pitted the Germans against supposedly easier opponents in the game that decided who would progress from the group.
The final against Hungary did not end in the widely feared debacle, however. Max Morlock quickly pulled a goal back and Helmut Rahn netted in the 18th minute to make it 2-2. From then on, both teams were equally matched. Softened by the continuous rain, the pitch began to act in Germany's favour. They had the better footwear thanks to the screw-in studs developed by adidas founder Adi Dassler. And Germany also had a captain who revelled in the conditions, which came to be known as "Fritz Walter weather" in the common parlance. After Rahn had given Germany the lead, he and his teammates came perilously close to conceding an equaliser. Radio reporter Herbert Zimmermann longed for the final whistle. Finally, it was all over, and the fabled Miracle of Bern was born.
Deutsches Fußballmuseum